Apparatus for semi-continuous production of lengthy helical wave guides

Abstract

The semi-continuous manufacturing of wave-guides of great length formed by an insulated wire wound in a helicoidal way with its turns contacting one another, involves forming a first length of the guide on a cylindrical mandrel with the mandrel and the length being pushed longitudinally over a distance virtually equal to the length of the latter, the length is stopped in this position, and the mandrel is brought back to its original position to enable a new length of guide to be formed on it, and so on.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A machine for the semi-continuous manufacture of wave-guides of considerable length from a plurality of sections of wave-guides of a standard length, said machine comprising: a. a cylindrical mandrel;   b. first means for rotating said cylindrical mandrel during the manufacture of each section of wave-guide;   c. a carriage movable relative to said cylindrical mandrel in the direction parallel to the axis thereof;   d. second means for displacing said carriage from a first end of said cylindrical mandrel to the second end thereof during the manufacture of each section of wave-guide in synchronism with the rotational movement of the latter;   e. third means for displacing said carriage from the second end of said cylindrical mandrel to the first end thereof in between the manufacture of each section of wave-guide;   f. fourth means for winding wire on said cylindrical mandrel, said fourth means being movable with said carriage and being mounted for rotation about said cylindrical mandrel;   g. fifth means for causing said fourth means to rotate about said cylindrical mandrel, whereby the wire is wound on said cylindrical mandrel in a helical fashion while said carriage is being displaced by said second means;   h. sixth means for continuously controlling the ratio of the rotational speeds of said first and fifth means during operation of the machine in response to the angle at which wire is wound on said cylindrical mandrel such that the winding angle relative to the axis of said cylindrical mandrel remains constant, thereby maintaining a constant winding pitch of the wire so as to obtain contiguous turns;   i. seventh means for distributing tape on the wire wound on said cylindrical mandrel, said seventh means being mounted on and movable with said carriage, whereby the combination of the translational motion of said carriage and the rotational motion of said mandrel causes the tape to be wound on the wire in a helical fashion;   j. eighth means for displacing said cylindrical mandrel and a section of wave-guide manufactured on said cylindrical mandrel (i) parallel to the axis of said cylindrical mandrel, (ii) in the direction of the first end of said cylindrical mandrel, and (iii) by an amount equal to the standard length of a section of wave-guide, thereby moving said cylindrical mandrel and a section of wave-guide manufactured on said cylindrical mandrel from a first position to a second position;   k. ninth means for gripping and immobilizing a section of wave-guide manufactured on said cylindrical mandrel after said cylindrical mandrel and the section of wave-guide are in the second position; and   l. 10th means for displacing said cylindrical mandrel from its second position to its first position by a motion which is (i) parallel to the axis of said cylindrical mandrel, (ii) in the direction of the second end of said cylindrical mandrel, and (iii) equal in length to the standard length of a section of wave-guide while said ninth means remains actuated, whereby said cylindrical mandrel is withdrawn from the section of wave-guide and is returned to its first position while the section of wave-guide remains in its second position.   
     
     
       2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ninth means comprises: a. jaw grippers and   b. means for clamping said jaw grippers on a section of wave-guide while said cylindrical mandrel and the section of wave-guide are in the second position.   
     
     
       3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said third, eighth, and tenth means comprise a single jack, the shaft of which is secured to the second end of said cylindrical mandrel. 
     
     
       4. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sixth means comprises a hollow needle through which the wire passes immediately before it is wound onto said cylindrical mandrel. 
     
     
       5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said sixth means further comprise: a. a Wheatstone bridge, the arms of which comprise two potentiometers, one for use in calibration and the other having said hollow needle mounted thereon, and   b. eleventh means responsive to the output of said Wheatstone bridge for changing the winding speed of said fifth means.   
     
     
       6. A machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said Wheatstone bridge is mounted on said fourth means and further comprising: a. two conductor rings mounted on said fourth means, said conductor rings being connected respectively to the two outputs of said Wheatstone bridge;   b. two brushes mounted on said carriage and disposed for wiping contact with said conductor rings; and   c. a differential amplifier which connects said brushes to a control circuit for said 11th means.